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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27383650">Goodbye, Angel</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatasianpotato/pseuds/thatasianpotato'>thatasianpotato</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Bullying, Character Death, Hospitals, Hurt, Hurt No Comfort, Illnesses, M/M, Please Don't Hate Me, Religious Imagery &amp; Symbolism, Sad Ending, Slight Violence, i love tendou, the universe jus hates him</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 18:54:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,029</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27383650</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatasianpotato/pseuds/thatasianpotato</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tendou found an angel in the form of Ushijima Wakatoshi, but all things must come to an end, even the heavenly ones.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tendou Satori/Ushijima Wakatoshi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Haikyuu Angst Week 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Goodbye, Angel</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Tendou was never one to believe in God, especially with the kind of hand he had been dealt with in life. But when Ushijima Wakatoshi came into it, he had genuinely thought God had sent him an angel.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sure, he wasn’t the typical all-loving, warmly compassionate being, but if you looked close enough like Tendou did you could see it. He could see it in the boy’s movements, the way he looked ethereal and otherworldly in his eyes as he moved around the court. He could feel it in the energy and passion he exuded: strong, steady, and sacred. He could feel the glowing, golden heart underneath the tough exterior the boy had. After all, he was willing to stay by his side, and Tendou knew that couldn’t have been the easiest thing to do. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He could feel the stares in the hallways when the two of them would walk together. He could hear the whispers wondering why someone as renowned as Ushijima would choose to hang out with someone like him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Creepy. Dark. Weird. </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>And yet, despite all that, he stayed. Almost like a guardian. It was an unspoken thing, but the two had shared a bond, and that included being there for each other and protecting one another. Ushijima would stay with him, and he would be untouchable because as much as people seemed to dislike him, they seemed to fear disrespecting someone like Ushijima even more. And in return, Tendou would give Ushijima all the time, energy, and support he could offer.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Then came a few years after their initial friendship, where feelings rose and were uttered in the late-night hangouts and felt through lingering touches and stares. Then it had become an explicit, known thing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I will protect you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Those were the first words Ushijima had let slip from his mouth when he found Tendou huddled, bloody, and bruised one night; the result of his bullies finally snapping and not caring about Ushijima’s wrath. The look in Ushijima’s eyes that night said otherwise.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The words were not the most overly romantic thing, but it didn’t need to be. Tendou understood his words, and his face, and his heart. And so Tendou had gotten up and moved closer, and Ushijima did the same and closed the gap until their lips. There in their dorm room, as Ushijima’s hands methodically patched up his wounds, Tendou started to believe. There was good in the world, everything sweet and good and holy was standing right in front of him. And everything was perfect, he had suffered but God had given him an angel that had caressed the pain away.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tendou saw the world in a way he never had before, it was full of light and hope and </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>, always beside Tendou’s side. But Tendou should have known better than to trust in false happiness. How could he have ever thought that the universe that had made him, and had hated him because of how he was, would ever love him? How could he trust in it to give him everything? It was foolish to think all that happiness was to make up for all that pain, it was merely setting him up for more.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tendou was at Ushijima’s side, just as he always was. But this time it was not in a hallway, dorm, or volleyball court. Now he stood beside white sheets and beeping machinery.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ushijima opened his eyes then, and Tendou almost winced; he looked so tired. But though he wanted to look away, he couldn’t. It was a peculiar thing, how this boy was both him and </span>
  <em>
    <span>not him</span>
  </em>
  <span> at the same time. Ushijima no longer moved as gracefully as he did, he wasn’t allowed to move at all anymore. He was weary-looking, breath shallow, and skin pale. But Tendou could still see the fighting heart in him, could still hear it on the beeping monitor, trying so hard to keep its promise. And Tendou could never look away from that.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Toshi,” he said softly as he took the boy’s hand. It was cold, so cold.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ushijima tried to say something, but nothing would come out, and a pained expression invaded his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, it’s fine. I’ve always done the most talking between us two,” he muttered, letting his other face trace Ushijima’s face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There wasn’t any use trying to deny what the doctors had said, and Ushijima had always appreciated and counted on his honesty.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I want you to know that I love you, huh? And you’re strong, so strong, Toshi,” he paused and took a deep breath. “And I want you to know that even though I know you’re strong and you’re fighting. It’s okay. You can break your promise because I know you’re tired.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He had to look away then, and swipe away at the tears that were stinging his eyes. He took another deep breath, though his next words still came out shaky. “You can go, angel. I know this is harder on you than it is for anybody, and you deserve the rest, Toshi.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ushijima was shaking his head. Tendou moved closer, sitting on the edge of the bed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, I’m strong you know. You’ve helped me become strong. And I can forgive you even though you’ll be breaking your promise, and I intend to keep mine.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He lied down then, trying his best to adjust himself without having to put too much strain on Ushijima.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Here, I’ll help you. I’ll protect you. It’s the least I can do for everything you’ve done for me,” he said as he wrapped his arms around him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll protect you, from the fear. I’ll be here, angel.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>God or the universe or whatever might not have cared about Tendou, but he was glad he was given this courtesy, at least, to be able to share this moment with Ushijima. So he held on to this moment, and he stayed. He stayed and brushed his hair. He stayed and sang him songs. He stayed until the only thing he could hear was the sound of the ventilator.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And that was when he knew. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Goodbye, Angel,” He muttered as he kissed the boy’s forehead.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>AAAAAAAA DAY 4 OF HQ ANGST WEEK !! tbh im surprised i've made it this far ahahaha</p>
<p>idk if it's the story or if im jus really tired today, but this particular story really took more out of me to write than the previous ones lmao</p>
<p>also also i know japan doesn't have a very catholic-centered view of religion but i was highkey rushing this and too tired to research and could only depend on my own catholic upbringing KASJDKSAJDA sorræ but i hope it doesn't ruin ur immersion and experience of the story :&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt; enjoy!</p>
<p>now if u excuse me i will now spend the rest of the night crying and thinking about hugging tendou bc i really do love the boi </p>
<p>♥ beeee / thatasianpotato</p></blockquote></div></div>
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